1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
braved murderous machine-gun fire to capture the hill from the enemy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
Viking warriors became legendary for the murderous fury they displayed in battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of murderous
Except… there’s no indication Martin is repenting for his murderous vigilante rampage.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
How dare the film depict God as female, and as murderous?
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Paula is on a path by the end of the second episode where there is a murderous person following her who has some abstract clues.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 May 2026
At the opening of his trial, prosecution lawyer Rashid Rashid described Kabuga as an enthusiastic supporter of the Tutsi slaughter who armed, trained and encouraged murderous Hutu militias known as Interahamwe.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
How dare the film depict God as female, and as murderous?
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Paula is on a path by the end of the second episode where there is a murderous person following her who has some abstract clues.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 May 2026
At the opening of his trial, prosecution lawyer Rashid Rashid described Kabuga as an enthusiastic supporter of the Tutsi slaughter who armed, trained and encouraged murderous Hutu militias known as Interahamwe.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
-
After the Boston Tea Party, the British government cracked down on the colonies with a series of oppressive laws known as the Intolerable Acts.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Outside the stadium, protesters clashed over Iran’s oppressive regime and its place in the tournament as players vowed to rise above politics and unite Iranians through soccer.—
Iliana Limón Romero,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Otherwise, those prospects start becoming large contracts that stand more difficult to move or aggregate.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Protesters rallied for hours Tuesday outside the courthouse, with WCCO crews witnessing law enforcement use non-lethal or less-lethal munitions against demonstrators, including both tear gas and pepper spray.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Trump also brought lethal injection back to federal prisons, a protocol Biden withdrew before his term ended.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Season three is cashing in on all the teasing and finally giving us the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war that brings Westeros to its knees, in all its bloody and fiery glory.—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
Men grappling and kicking, throwing elbows and punching, giving each other bloody noses, black eyes, and—surely, occasionally—concussions.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ahead of the holiday, the City of Rancho Cordova is cracking down with much harsher penalties.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Members of his party who want even harsher border controls have splintered off to form Restore Britain, which has gained support from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is vociferously backing it on his X platform.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
The agreement calls for an immediate end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and sets out expectations for the next phase of talks, which will tackle more challenging issues, mainly the future of Iran's nuclear program.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
This creates a particularly challenging environment for those working in contributor welfare.—
Emma Pringle,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Other fatal skydiving crashes in Missouri Sunday’s crash was at least the fourth deadly skydiving incident in Missouri since 1998.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Dennis Jacobs, the airport manager and director of Bates County Emergency Management, previously told USA TODAY that the incident was the deadliest crash in the airport's roughly 50-year history.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Higher-level inmates gorge themselves; those below face starvation, suicide or cannibalism – a brutal metaphor for the world’s food chain.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
The president’s instinct to go for the jugular was on display in his first campaign, when he was written off early on as an entertainer but found success with brutal takedowns.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
